Cupra Born e-Boost: new versions join electric hatchback range

Full specifications and pricing for an expanded and revised Cupra Born model line-up have been announced. The sporty Spanish brand’s first electric car initially launched in late 2021 with a 58kWh battery and 201bhp electric motor only, available in V1, V2 and V3 trim levels.

Those options remain, starting from £34,715, but have now been joined by two ‘e-Boost’ variants, available in V2 and V3 specifications. These get a more powerful 227bhp electric motor and a choice of 58 or 77kWh battery sizes, starting at £37,445 and £40,215 respectively.

With the addition of these e-Boost variants, the Cupra Born is now available with more power than any version of its Volkswagen ID.3 cousin – at least until the anticipated GTX hot-hatchback variant of the latter car appears. A similar dual-motor version of the Born remains a possibility, with the same 295bhp output as VW’s ID.4 GTX and Skoda's Enyaq iV vRS taking it into true electric sports car territory.

For the moment, the full pricing breakdown for the 2022 Cupra Born range is as follows:

No version is currently cheap enough to qualify for the government’s plug-in car grant, however an entry-level model with a 45kWh battery and powered by a 148bhp motor, like the cheaper ID.3 variants, is due later in 2022. The Born is also available on Cupra’s PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) finance scheme, with an indicative example working out at £399 per month for a 58kWh V2 model over four years, assuming a deposit of just over £7,000 and an optional final payment of just over £16,500.

Standard equipment on the V1 trim level, available for now only with the 58kWh/201bhp battery-motor combination, includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 12-inch central infotainment screen, reversing camera and safety systems like lane-keeping assistance and tiredness recognition.

Upgrading to V2 trim opens up the more powerful motor and larger battery combinations, as well as adding 19-inch alloys, an augmented-reality head-up display and heated front seats. Top-spec V3 cars get 20-inch alloy wheels and 12-way power-adjustable, heated and massaging front seats.

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The upcoming 148bhp model will be capable of 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds and have a maximum driving range of 211 miles. The 58kWh battery and 201bhp motor combine for 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds and maximum range of up to 264 miles, while the 228bhp-motor model gets from 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds and has a slightly reduced range of 261 miles. Going for the larger 77kWh battery boosts maximum range to 340 miles, but the extra weight increases the 0-62mph time fractionally to seven seconds exactly.

From a public rapid charger capable of at least 120kW, you can top up Borns with the 58kWh battery from 5-80% capacity in 35 minutes. Fully recharging the same battery from flat will take just over nine hours from a 7.4kW home wallbox. The 77kWh model has a slightly faster maximum rapid-charging speed of 135kW, so will take just a minute longer to get from 5-80% than the smaller-battery variant.

Visually, the design of the Cupra Born remained largely unchanged from the original El-Born concept car that Cupra's sister brand SEAT unveiled a few years ago. There are a few notable similarities to the VW ID.3, particularly in regards to the roofline, C-pillar and the short overhangs at the front and rear.

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However, the Cupra is sportier all round, with more aggressive front and rear bumpers. The rear also features a diffuser below the full-width light strip. Cupra’s signature copper accents are present on the Born in several places, including the front grille, side skirts and even the alloy wheels seen in these first images. 

Inside, the copper accents continue and the cabin gets the same 12-inch infotainment screen as the Cupra Formentor SUV and Cupra Leon hatchback. This is standard across the Born range and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with all models also getting a 5.3-inch digital driver’s display behind the wheel.

The Born’s interior also uses recycled materials, with the centre sections of the seats made from plastics found on beaches and upcycled into yarn. Optional Dinamica microfibre is available for the door panels, along with upholstery that's made from the polyester fibres found in T-shirts and plastic bottles.There are two bucket seats up front, space for three passengers in the rear and a boot capacity of 385 litres.